Axell remained silent, staring at his phone screen. Emily kept calling him.“Don’t tell me you have something going on behind Zahra’s back,” Mrs. Celline glared at Axell.“There’s nothing, Ma, really,” Axell answered like a child caught breaking the rules.“Then why is she calling you?” Mrs. Celline asked again.“Axell doesn’t know, Ma,” Axell replied briefly.“Why don’t you answer it?” Mrs. Celline pressed.“If I answer, I might get it wrong again,” Axell said, sipping his coffee.“Then answer it in front of me,” Mrs. Celline ordered.Finally, Axell slid the green button on his phone.“Hello, Emily,” Axell greeted.“Axell, why isn’t Zahra’s number active? I wanted to tell you the goods will arrive tomorrow if you want to come,” Emily said excitedly.Meanwhile, Zahra, who overheard Mrs. Celline and Axell’s conversation, sighed in relief when she heard Emily’s voice. Zahra’s phone had run out of battery and was completely dead.Initially, Zahra wanted to go downstairs to get a drink be
"Zahra," Axell called to his wife, who was still sitting in the kitchen, watching Mrs. Rasi cook dinner for their family."Yes, Darling," Zahram replied."Still want to stay here?" Axell asked since Zahra had been sitting there for over an hour, even though the tea and cake were gone."Not really, Darling," Zahra giggled, standing up and walking upstairs with Axell following her."Emily is coming here tomorrow," Axell said once they were in their room."For what?" Zahra asked, slightly raising her voice, looking jealous."To see Tama?" Zahra asked again, sounding more jealous."No, she’s bringing the new clothes that just arrived, the ones she told you about. She called earlier and said your phone wasn’t active," Axell explained."Oh right, I forgot to charge it and it died," Zahra said, smiling."I told her you couldn’t go to the store because you’re pregnant, so she’s bringing them here for you and Mom to choose from," Axell explained to the jealous-looking Zahra."Oh, that’s fine."
"Who keeps bothering me when I'm in my room?" Axell grumbled as he got up and headed toward his bedroom door.Click.Mrs. Celline's innocent face peeked from behind the door, smiling. Axell could only rub his rugged face at his mother's behavior."What's up, Mom?" Axell asked flatly."I brought this, it's good for pregnant women," she said, holding up a dark-colored drink."What is this, Mom?" Axell asked, taking the bottle."This is ginger water, it's good for morning sickness that Zahra often experiences," Mrs. Celline said, smiling."Thanks, Mom," Axell said as he was about to close the door, but Mrs. Celline held it open."What is it now, Mom?" Axell asked, slightly annoyed."Nothing, what are you two doing in there?" Mrs. Celline asked, peeking into the room to see Zahra resting.Zahra preferred lying down rather than responding to Mrs. Celline's every word."Is the fruit Zahraad finished?" Mrs. Celline asked."I don't think so," Axell answered carelessly."Oh, I thought it was f
"I'll work from Daddy's house, Zahra, but we have to bring one of Jojo's crew to stay with us there," Axell said to Zahra."Really, honey? Is that okay?" Zahra asked enthusiastically."Yes, it's okay, Zahra.""What about the kids?" Zahra asked."Miss Sri will take care of the kids, Zahra," Axell reassured his wife.Mrs. Celline grumbled as she overheard the couple's plan to stay at Zahra's father's house."We'll leave right after the dawn prayer because I have to go to work. So, I'll drop you off first and then head to the office," Axell told Zahra."Okay," Zahra replied, hugging Axell's strong arm tightly."Ahem," Mrs. Celline cleared her throat, but Axell and Zahra ignored her.Mrs. Ania held back a smile, seeing Mrs. Celline, who was sitting next to her, looking annoyed at her son and daughter-in-law's disregard for her."Ahem," Mrs. Celline cleared her throat louder this time."Miss Inah," Axell called."Yes, Mr. Axell," Miss Inah replied from the kitchen."Please bring a glass of
"Shall I get you some other food?" asked Axell, seeing Zahra so hungrily eating her rujak."No need, honey; you're already full," replied Zahra."I'll just get you some water, okay?" asked Axell."Hu-um," replied Zahra while eating the rujak that was left a little.Axell went downstairs to get a bottle of drink for the room and also a container of cake. In case Zahra got hungry in the middle of the night, she wouldn't have to go downstairs anymore."Here, I brought some cake too, so if you get hungry in the middle of the night, you don't have to go down to the first floor," said Axell while putting the drink and cake on the nightstand."Thanks, honey," said Zahra, smiling."You're welcome, honey," replied Axell while stroking his wife's head."Who prepared the food box?" asked Zahra, seeing the cake cut neatly."Auntie Rasi happened to be in the kitchen, so I asked for her help," said Axell."No wonder it's neat; if it was Sayang who cut it, it wouldn't be neat," Zahra chuckled.Axell
"I don't have an appointment to receive a female guest today, right?" asked Axell."Yes, but are you sure you don't want to meet her?" asked Ari."Scared like before, Ri," said Axell slowly."But this girl looks so much like you and Mr. Axell," said Ari then.Deg.Axell was surprised that there was someone who looked like him, making him even more curious."What's her name?" Axell asked Ari."Alina Rosmala," answered Ari, stating the full name of the girl in question.Axell typed the name mentioned by Ari into the smart search engine on his cellphone screen.From the search results, many Alina names came up, and some were exactly the same as the name searched for: Alina Rosmala, a young businesswoman who had just returned to Indonesia two years ago and immediately entered the hotel, catering, and travel business world."Wow, what a great woman," said Axell."Who is it, sir?" asked Ari."Have you really looked at this woman outside?" asked Axell, handing his cellphone to Ari."Yes, sir
"According to my biological mother, he is my biological father. But I don't know if it's true or not, because I can't find his whereabouts," said Axell, looking down."Are you looking for him?" asked Alin."Yes."“Why shouldn’t he be the one to come? You’re already famous, and your mother has appeared in the media admitting that you are his child,” Alin teased.“I was hoping for that, but years after his mother appeared, she still didn’t come. Maybe she’s happy with her family because I’m not the child she expected,” Axell said quietly.“Maybe she’s embarrassed, because he’s a businessman who disappeared without a trace,” Alin argued.“Why embarrassed? I already know the story,” Axell said.“Will you continue looking for him?” Alin asked.“Yes, because I’m afraid of my future descendants. I’m afraid of meeting a blood relative, and we don’t realize it,” Axell said.“Hmmm… Sorry, sir, our story has deviated far from business,” Alin said, smiling.“Ah yes, I was just confiding in you; f
“We’re going to the doctor today, right?” Axell asked Zahra while she was getting ready to go to work.“Let Zahra be alone, honey,” Zahra said while preparing socks for her husband.Axell stopped the activity of his hands that were buttoning his shirt.“What’s wrong?” Axell asked then.“Nothing, honey; who knows, honey is busy. It’s a weekday,” Zahra replied, looking away as she made eye contact with Axell.“It’s normal, right? We check on weekdays. And what’s wrong with that?” Axell asked.“Yes, Zahra is afraid of disturbing honey’s work; who knows, honey is busy,” Zahra replied, pretending to be busy with the socks in her hands.“I work for my own company, Zahra,” Axell replied.“Even though it’s my own, you can’t just set a bad example for your employees, right, honey?” Zahra asked.“What’s wrong with you?” Axell asked, approaching because Zahra always avoided him when their gazes met.“What’s wrong, honey? Zahra is fine, honey,” Zahra replied.Axell held Zahra’s hand as she was ab